Calling all Small Ball team Experts!!!!

10-5 over last 15 gets me back over .500 finally!!!

Triples, Doubles (but not 2-splat doubles)
1-15 or better baserunners,
defense, including OF & catcher arms (your average of arm for starters s/b at least -2)
2e20 or better at ss & 2b, 1s are better
if 4s @ 3rd or 1st, at least low e 4s.
as many 20 or 19 advanced stealing rating guys as you can get (which, alas, means use Negro leaguers sparingly...) helps to have guys who have better good lead chances too.
and, good starters w/ good endurance
match your pitchers ballpark HR chances to your parks factors (don't draft Dixie Davis in Dunn)


i forgot to add: I am not positing myself as an expert, just putting my $.02 in

When I am playing small ball I always go with three things no matter what.

Four 10M+ starters (S9*'s), defense and Petco Park (1-1,1-1). I am going for the shutouts at home. Home is where most of my wins will come from because few if any others are playing SB, by and large. An old team of mine back in ATGV, Jackass Flats Moocows, is still in the leaderboard with 21 team shoutouts. Maddux's ERA of under 2 got bumped.

Now, the road is where it gets tricky. I try and pile up speed and average as best I can and I always grab three or four chalk burners to zip around the bases as quickly as possible. I don't want to divulge any preferences for players as I have a league starting soon and don't want to give anything up. Suffice it to say that you have to build your team like steroids, closers and Babe Ruth have not hit the diamond yet.

Two cents worth as well. But have a hell of a lot of fun trying to pull it off.

When I am playing small ball I always go with three things no matter what.

Four 10M+ starters (S9*'s), defense and Petco Park (1-1,1-1). I am going for the shutouts at home. Home is where most of my wins will come from because few if any others are playing SB, by and large. An old team of mine back in ATGV, Jackass Flats Moocows, is still in the leaderboard with 21 team shoutouts. Maddux's ERA of under 2 got bumped.

Now, the road is where it gets tricky. I try and pile up speed and average as best I can and I always grab three or four chalk burners to zip around the bases as quickly as possible. I don't want to divulge any preferences for players as I have a league starting soon and don't want to give anything up. Suffice it to say that you have to build your team like steroids, closers and Babe Ruth have not hit the diamond yet.

Two cents worth as well. But have a hell of a lot of fun trying to pull it off.

what salary cap? I'd assume this would be impossible at $80?

Indeed. 80. Four aces starting. Two awesome closers for each side. And one long baller. Not much in the field, but you can hunt and peck and come up with fast, defense and average. Hard to do but it is there. I will post my team once the draft runs to show you.

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1383653

Excepting one starter, I got everyone on my draft list. Awesome. Got a week to tweak. Probably won't.

Wow, five of first six series in small ball parks. Awesome. I have two small ball parks in division but none of them are geared for it. Might be a good season.

I can't believe you can spend over 60% of your cap on pitching at any cap and still win.

My two cents is you have to have a few power guys as more people are playing with power teams now. I remember and Petrosian is a good example of a Strat player who won with heavy pitching teams with little offense and made it work. I think there was a trend at that time with playing with pitching heavy teams but since then, people play with more power teams so you have to have the offense to match that. I think and it is just my opinion that you have to have both now, pitching in a small ball park with some power. Otherwise you struggle on the road against power teams.

I am not in the class of the great Strat players but the rings I have won have been that kind of combination. Here is a team I have starting the playoffs tomorrow.

http://onlinegames.strat-o-matic.com/team/1379228

But you are at a $100 million cap and your pitching staff is $10 million cheaper than his. So your team, while interesting, doesn't really show me that you can spend 60% of your cap on pitching and still win.

This was just a general comment on the small ball concept in my opinion with an example of a team I have.

Not trying to challenge anything here just giving my opinion.

I hope it contributes to a good conversation.

Thanks!